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Talk about shopping small and shopping local this holiday season has already started this year with Thanksgiving Thursday falling a little earlier in the calendar than normal.

Through the years, CHS has been part of a small but enduring Capitol Hill holiday shopping tradition of helping spread the word about neighborhood merchants and gift ideas. For free. Some years we’ve had some big help — yup, we might never have guessed we’d ever team up with a giant soda company, either. Some years, we’ve pulled it off on our own.

It’s Shop the Hill season.

CHS is once again teaming up with the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce and the Broadway Business Improvement Area to share local gift ideas and deals from Capitol Hill area merchants at capitolhillseattle.com/shopthehill/

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In an effort to buttress sagging turnout — especially among populations most likely to be disenfranchised by voting barriers — the King County Council voted Monday to move forward with prepaid postage for 2018 elections in the county:

King County Elections Director Julie Wise cites two successful pilots conducted last year, the unwavering support of councilmembers and the overall community need for the approval of this request as proof that prepaid postage works and is supported by all as a means towards stronger voter participation.

“I am grateful to the Council for their unwavering support in giving me the tools I need to continue removing barriers for our voters,” said Director Wise. “Prepaid postage along with our ballot drop boxes makes it easy for everyone to exercise their civic right to vote.”

The postage decision joins the county’s ballot drop boxes added in 2016 to locations including Broadway in front of Seattle Central across from E Howell as part of a King County-wide effort to increase turnout. In 2011, Washington shifted to all-mail elections but the percentage of eligible voters participating in midterm elections fell below 40%.

The decision would make $381,000 available to fund the free postage for King County voters. Gov. Jay Insleeis considering an emergency request by Secretary of State Kim Wyman for $2 million to fund prepaid postage for mail-in ballots statewide this year.

The CHS Calendar is filling with fun things to do around Capitol Hill’s Christmas — Halloween. Included in the fun-sized mix is the return of the annual Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce Hilloween carnival, a new Capitol Hill zombie crawl, and a spooky new event from the producer behind this summer’s Lusio light art festival in Volunteer Park. We’ll continue to add more to the candy bucket through the month. If you have something Hilloween-y to share, add it to the calendar. Highlights… below! Continue reading →

Politics and candy. Welcome to Easter 2016 on Capitol Hill. The weekend brings the hotly anticipated Washington Caucus action and egg hunts along with a chance to do some good before you enjoy the fruits of democracy with a side of marshmallow Peeps.

Get into the swing Thursday night at Fred Wildlife Refuge:

Rock Out With Your Cauc Out! Fred Wildlife Refuge is proud to host a get together to mingle, rally, and get excited about the upcoming Washington State Caucus! We will have information on where, when, and how to attend your caucus, as well as a full bar for guests to purchase beverages. FREE / 21+ / 7pm-Midnight

We’re kicking off U Link service with a free community celebration March 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stations and train rides open at 10 a.m. Here’s a sample of what we have in store at each station:

Self-guided tours of University of Washington and Capitol Hill stations

A variety of live music, including instrumental, jazz, rock and hip-hop

Wave of the Future Pavilions featuring games, photo booths and more

Food for purchase from your favorite local food trucks

Farmer’s market at Capitol Hill Station

Free commemorative items (while supplies last).

At Capitol Hill Station, the 9 AM to 5 PM fun will include DJ Riz Rollins and street musician Pasquale Santos, giant Jenga, a temporary tattoo parlor, and a “Eurodance Party” parade (we don’t even know what that means!). You’ll be invited to take a “self guided” tour of the stations, enjoy some interpretive videos, and get your hands on special commemorative stars made from the wood of the big red construction wall.

UPDATE! This just in from Sound Transit. You might want to make sure to be at Capitol Hill Station by 10 AM for “confetti cannons” and a countdown with Mayor Ed Murray.Continue reading →

With a blustery weekend ahead, you might want to curl up with a good online web sitcom but you should really bundle up and venture outside for the arts. As a neighborhood with its very own web series, Capitol Hill remains the ideal host for the 2016 edition of the Seattle Web Fest:

We feature web-based fiction & non-fiction series from Seattle and around the world. We celebrate this independent television by curating a selection of amazing shows for theatrical presentation while hosting panels & workshops from industry professionals.

The annual and FREE event (first come, first served) features 50 shows from around the world and panels for aspiring web series creators. Saturday’s “Local Money” panel will include Wes Hurley, one of the creators behind the Capitol Hill series starring Waxie Moon. The event runs 10 AM to 8 PM at 12th Ave’s Northwest Film Forum. Check out the full 2016 schedule for start times — or for a few good shows to enjoy like Seattle-created Manic Pixie Dream Wife, “a comedy limited/mini series created by M. Elizabeth Eller that examines the pop-culture trope of the manic pixie dream girl” —Continue reading →

Teams from over 20 middle and high schools have spent weeks and months applying math and science skills to design, build and operate projects. Competitions will be held in 50 different categories, including hydrology, bridge building, electric vehicles, wind power, forensics and anatomy.

Bring your budding Mars explorer along to cheer them on.

Do you want to rock? The weekend also brings the return of Hollow Earth Radio’s so alternative it hurts March of music — Magma Fest:

No artist is allowed to appear at Magma twice, so every year showcases a whole new array of up-and-coming and established performers from the Pacific Northwest and beyond! Every event is all-ages and donation-supported, and proceeds go towards continuing to ensure Hollow Earth’s existence as a community resource and, soon, a low-power FM radio station!

The 2016 Seattle Asian American Film Festival (SAAFF) will take place February 19th thru the 21st at the Northwest Film Forum located in the vibrant arts and nightlife neighborhood of Capitol Hill in Seattle! The 50 films on the program include the best in recent independent cinema by and about Asian Americans. Check out the film schedule, descriptions, view trailers and purchase tickets at www.seattleaaff.org

City Council member Lorena González joined Michelle Frankfurter at the opening of Destino earlier this week (Image: CHS)

(Images: Michelle Frankfurter with permission to CHS)

The second Thursday of the month brings another Capitol Hill Art Walk to the galleries, cafes, bars, restaurants, and miscellaneous art spaces in the neighborhood. If you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day gift, how about some art?

February’s walk also brings a new exhibition to the Hill with Destino at the newly opened Creative Blueprint on Boylston:

Documentary photographer Michelle Frankfurter traveled Mexico documenting the journeys of young people escaping poverty and violence in Central America, riding on tops of dangerous freight trains, and following Border Patrols along the US/Mexico border. Images from her book, Destino, are featured on CNN, the Washington Post,and The Guardian. Maybe you’ve read recent news on pre-dawn raids and deportations of Central American families. Hundreds of civil rights and others groups are asking the U.S. government to pause the raids and consider other courses of action before sending people, especially young women and children, back to desperate, dangerous conditions in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Celebrate the Year of the Monkey with the Free First Saturday: Lunar New Yearcelebration at Volunteer Park’s Asian Art Museum complete with live martial arts performances by Mak Fai, music, dress-up, and family friendly sketching tours.

CHS CALENDAR

In 17th century Rome, painter Artemisia Gentileschi must fight for everything—her place at the easel, her father’s respect, credit for her visionary work. But in the aftermath of rape, she must fight for her truth, buoyed by her shared experience … Continue reading →

In 17th century Rome, painter Artemisia Gentileschi must fight for everything—her place at the easel, her father’s respect, credit for her visionary work. But in the aftermath of rape, she must fight for her truth, buoyed by her shared experience … Continue reading →

In 17th century Rome, painter Artemisia Gentileschi must fight for everything—her place at the easel, her father’s respect, credit for her visionary work. But in the aftermath of rape, she must fight for her truth, buoyed by her shared experience … Continue reading →

In 17th century Rome, painter Artemisia Gentileschi must fight for everything—her place at the easel, her father’s respect, credit for her visionary work. But in the aftermath of rape, she must fight for her truth, buoyed by her shared experience … Continue reading →